Lillian  Stewart  Memorial  Hall 


‘‘I  am  most  happy  because  I believe  that  in  the  work  in 
which  Mr.  Stewart  and  T hope  to  engage  we  shall  have  the 
aid  of  a Mighty  Helper.  And  I pray  that  no  lack  of  conse- 
cration on  my  part  may  hinder  the  lorwarding  of  Christ’s 
kingdom  in  that  field  to  which  we  go.” — Extract  from  a letter 
to  Dr.  Lajnbuth,  Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Missions,  written 
by  Mrs.  Stewart  on  their  appointment  to  Japan. 


Pal  more  Institute  is  an  English  night  school  lo- 
cated in  Kobe,  Japan.  Its  history  dates  from  the 
commencement  of  our  mission  in  that  empire,  hav- 
ing been  the  first  work  started  by  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
J.  W.  Dambuth,  the  latter  putting  into  it  some  of 
the  best  efforts  of  her  consecrated  life.  It  gets  its 
name  from  Rev.  W.  B.  Palmore,  D.D.,  of  the  St. 
Louis  Christian  Advocate , who  some  twenty  years 
ago  made  it  a gift  of  five  hundred  dollars  and  a li- 
brary of  about  one  thousand  volumes. 

The  student  body  is  composed  of  employees  of 
banks,  business  houses,  teachers  and  students  from 
the  government  schools.  The  annual  enrollment 
for  the  past  several  years  has  been  more  than  five 
hundred,  the  average  nightly  attendance  being 
about  one  hundred  and  fifty.  The  work  has  paid 
its  own  expenses,  and  was  able  to  contribute  over 
five  hundred  dollars  toward  the  purchase  of  its 
present  property. 


The  school  meets  for  two  hours  five  evenings  a 
week.  Nothing  but  English  is  taught.  One-fourth 
of  the  time  is  given  to  the  study  of  the  English 
Bible,  the  remainder  to  reading,  conversation,  and 
grammar.  In  addition  to  the  work  in  the  class 
rooms  there  are,  at  outside  hours,  Bible  and  sing- 
ing classes,  a school  prayer  meeting,  and  occasional 
social  gatherings.  Many  of  the  students  attend 
our  Church  services,  and  are  on  the  list  of  inquir- 
ers and  probationers.  The  sole  object  of  this  most 
interesting  work  is  to  win  the  young  men  to  Christ, 
and  some  splendid  results  have  been  secured.  To 
mention  but  a few:  Two  of  the  stewards  of  “the 
strongest  Methodist  Church  in  Japan” — one  a 
cashier  in  a bank — were  converted  in  the  school, 
and  are  still  faithful  workers  for  it ; another  is  an 
officer  in  the  Salvation  Army,  a most  zealous  and 
successful  worker  and  their  chief  interpreter ; sev- 
eral have  entered  the  ministry,  while  a large  num- 
ber occupy  places  of  honor  and  usefulness  in  busi- 
ness and  the  government  service.  Everything 
considered,  this  night  school  has  been  the  most 
fruitful  single  work  that  has  been  conducted  by 
our  Japan  Mission.  It  was  to  take  charge  of  the 
Palmore  Night  School  that  Rev.  and  Mrs.  S.  A. 
Stewart,  of  the  Western  North  Carolina  Confer- 
ence, went  to  Japan  in  1906.  During  Mrs.  Stew- 
art’s short  stay  in  that  empire  she  did  what  she 
could,  laboring  most  faithfully  and  winning  a 
strong  hold  on  her  missionary  associates  and  the 
student  body. 

Through  the  generosity  of  some  of  the  Lord’s 
stewards,  the  Board  of  Missions  was  able  to  secure, 


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last  spring,  a piece  of  property  for  the  permanent 
location  of  this  work,  which  furnishes  a home  for 
the  resident  missionary  connected  with  the  school 
and  ground  sufficient  for  the  erection  of  a building 
for  class  rooms,  reading  room,  and  library.  It 
was  this  property  that  Dr.  and  Mrs.  J.  W.  Lambuth 
rented  and  lived  in  for  several  years,  and  from  this 
place  this  faithful  man  of  God  went  to  his  glorious 
reward,  sending  to  the  Church  his  last  message : 
“I  fall  at  my  post.  We  are  doing  a great  work. 
Send  more  men.”  Into  this  sacred  home  Brother 
and  Sister  Stewart  moved,  with  high  hopes,  after 
a solemn  dedication  service  attended  by  our  mis- 
sionaries and  Japanese  Christians.  It  was  from 
here,  from  the  room  hallowed  by  the  death  of  the 
sainted  Lambuth,  that  in  June,  1907,  Lillian  Bridges 
Stewart  went  home  to  be  with  God. 

It  is  now  proposed  that  a memorial  building 
costing  six  thousand  dollars,  for  the  housing  of 
this  important  work,  be  erected  within  the  next 
few  months  in  commemoration  of  Mrs.  Stewart, 
and  that  it  be  named  the  “ Lillian  Stewart  Memo- 
rial Hall.”  The  need  for  the  building  is  imme- 
diate and  very  great.  The  night  school  is  now 
being  held  in  a borrowed  building  which  must 
shortly  be  surrendered.  This  means  that  a very 
high  rent  will  have  to  be  paid,  or  that  the  work 
will  be  given  up,  or  greatly  reduced  in  extent  and 
usefulness.  Dr.  Lambuth  wrote  from  Japan : 
“Bishop  Wilson  and  I very  heartily  indorse  this 
plan,  and  do  not  see  how  the  school  can  go  on 
without  this  building.” 

The  plan  decided  on  is  to  raise  the  money  needed 


as  a special  memorial  fund  in  cash  contributions, 
or  in  subscriptions,  payable  semiannually,  unless 
other  terms  are  preferred  by  the  donors.  When 
this  money  is  pledged,  the  Board  of  Missions  will 
provide  for  the  immediate  erection  of  the  building. 
Funds  or  subscriptions  may  be  sent  to  J.  D.  Ham- 
ilton, Treasurer  of  the  Board,  810  Broadway,  Nash- 
ville, Tenn. 


Board  of  Missions,  M.  E.  Church,  South,  Nashville,  Tenn. 
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